Bo Ningen are a Japanese four-piece noise rock and alternative rock band,[1][2] consisting of Taigen Kawabe (bass/ vocals), Yuki Tsujii (guitar), Kohhei Matsuda (guitar) and Monchan Monna (drums). Though they come from Gumma, Tajimi, Nishinomiya, and Tokyo, they coalesced in London. They are signed to Stolen Recordings and licensed to Sony Music Associated Records in Japan.
Bo Ningen | |
|---|---|
 Bo Ningen performing in 2012 | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | London, England |
| Genres | Noise rock, neo-psychedelia |
| Years active | 2006–present |
| Labels | Stolen Recordings (UK) Sony Music Associated Records (JP) A Remarkable Idea Alcopop! Records P-VINE (JP) |
| Members | Taigen Kawabe Yuki Tsujii Kohhei Matsuda Monchan Monna |
| Website | boningen |
They have performed collaboratively with Damo Suzuki, Faust and Savages.
Biography edit
The name Bo Ningen means "Stick Man" in Japanese.[3]
Taigen (vocal and bass) and Kohhei (guitar) met at a gig in 2006 and formed the first Bo Ningen duo; they were later joined by Yuki and then by Monchan.[4] The band booked into a studio on Hackney Road and in summer 2007, after continual 12 hour jams they played the first “true” Bo Ningen show at the Wilmington Arms. They then set up their own night 'Far East Electric Psychedelic' at Cross Kings in Kings Cross.
They have since played shows and festivals throughout the UK, Europe and Japan, notably the 2011 Venice Biennale (in collaboration with artists Tim Noble and Sue Webster), which was re-created for Yoko Ono's Meltdown Festival at Royal Festival Hall. They were also invited to perform at the Victoria and Albert Museum's Yohji Yamamoto Friday Late event.
According to an October 2015 interview with Marc Riley on BBC 6 Music, they confessed that they did not even really understand the label of acid rock applied to their style of music.[5]
The tour planned by the band to coincide the release of their 2020 album, Sudden Fictions, was later postponed to April 2021.[6]
Discography edit
Singles edit
- "Henkan" / "Jinsei Ichido Kiri" (2011 Stolen Recordings)[7]
- "Nichijyou" / "Henkan" clear vinyl (2014 Black Night Crash Records)[8]
EPs edit
- Koroshitai Kimochi (2009 Stolen Recordings)[7]
- Live at St. Leonard's Church (2012 Stolen Recordings)[7] (limited-edition silk-screened 10", 200 copies)[9]
Albums edit
- Bo Ningen (2010 Stolen Recordings, Licensed to Knew Noise Recordings, Japan, Licensed to Black Night Crash Records in Australia)[7]
- Line the Wall (2012 Stolen Recordings, Licensed to Sony Music Associated Records in Japan, Licensed to Black Night Crash Records in Australia)[7]
- III (2014 Stolen Recordings)[10]
- Sudden Fictions (2020 Alcopop! Records)[11]
Collaborations edit
- Words to the Blind (2014 Stolen Recordings/Pop Noire) – with Savages
References edit
- ^ Julian Marszalek (11 October 2012). "Reviews | Bo Ningen". The Quietus. Retrieved 21 October 2012.
- ^ Paul Lester (14 January 2010). "New band of the day – No 704: Bo Ningen". The Guardian. Retrieved 21 October 2012.
- ^ "FAULT Online interviews Bo Ningen". Fault-magazine.com. 14 November 2012. Retrieved 2 February 2017.
- ^ "Bo Ningen - About". Boningen.info. Retrieved 20 November 2014.
- ^ "BBC Radio 6 Music - Marc Riley, Bo Ningen, Bo Ningen live in session for Marc Riley". Bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 9 June 2020.
- ^ "Bo Ningen have rescheduled their upcoming headline tour to April 2021". Upset Magazine. 5 August 2020. Retrieved 27 December 2020.
- ^ a b c d e (limited-edition silk-screened 10", 200 copies) "Bo Ningen". Stolen Recordings. Retrieved 21 October 2012.
- ^ "Bo Ningen - Nichijyou 7" Vinyl". Blacknightcrash.com. 17 January 2014. Archived from the original on 12 August 2014. Retrieved 10 August 2014.
- ^ "Live at St. Leonard's Church". Boningen.info. 24 November 2011. Retrieved 21 October 2012.
- ^ Fred Thomas (12 May 2014). "III - Bo Ningen | Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 10 August 2014.
- ^ "Bo Ningen announce UK tour and release of new album Sudden Fictions". Getintothis. 19 March 2020. Retrieved 12 November 2020.